PIP - Ponies Inspiring People

In addition to our work with farmers we run an extensive education programme; working with a wide range of learners. We have a Service Level Agreement with the Dartmoor National Park Authority. To meet the criteria, we have been entrusted to provide education based around a Dartmoor Pony Experience aimed at primary schools, colleges and life long learners. For the past three years we have worked with students from Millford Special Needs School and Downham College. We have entered a team of five Dartmoor pack ponies to assist and motivate youngsters to complete the Jubilee Challenge (an 8 mile walk across Dartmoor for young people with disabilities, the event takes place during the annual Ten Tors event).

The aim of the PIP project is to provide educational and inspirational interactive equine programmes for children and adults with mental and /or physical disabilities, over three years.

There is no similar programme running in the West of England, but there is substantial proof worldwide that interaction with animals of all types is extremely beneficial to those with disabilities.  Horses in particular provide a broad base of challenges, and have proved to be very successful in developing the emotional and physical capabilities of the participants.  This project also strongly proves the suitability of Dartmoor ponies as calm, gentle animals, ideal for family environments or as ‘part of the family’ for those with disabilities. 

In addition to the above programme we have been working with a range of disadvantaed young people in a Research Study:

A 6 week research programme was conducted by Dawn Chaplin and Katy Hurworth - Final Year BSc (Hons) Psychology Undergraduates under highly respected Senior Clinical Psychologist Paul Brok at Plymouth University.

"As part of our final year project we spent time with staff and pupils at the school observing the work and the effects of the work of a  DPHT intervention. We had been told that a previous pilot project had seen improvements in anger management for participants. We observed the six weekly practical Pony sessions and interviewed those involved to try and ascertain what benefits working with the ponies had given the boys involved. Our research task was to try and describe why these benefits may have come about.

It seemed that working with the ponies had taught the boys necessary life skills such as building trust, learning boundaries, managing feelings, effective communication and facing fears. These seemed to translate into the academic lives of the boys where improvements in school functioning were noted by school staff and by the boys themselves. School staff suggested that improvements in self-esteem and empathy had been observed which helped the boys to deal more effectively with the challenges in their lives.

The unique bond formed with animals, especially horses, in a therapeutic intervention is said to help bring about these changes and provide assistance to young people in particular, with whom more traditional therapeutic work often fails. The work carried out by DPHT is most likened to ‘Equine Facilitated Learning’, a intervention which utilises horses to teach people about themselves in the hope of bringing about positive change via the learning of skills, however it differs and is unique in a number of ways; the use of Dartmoor ponies rather than domestic animals offers an extra ‘challenge’ to those involved who, upon having successfully handled and trained a wild pony, feel a great sense of achievement, often not as accessible to them in a typical educational context. The use of wild ponies places extra emphasis on the control of emotions and allows for the participants to witness how their actions can have consequences. Greater ownership is felt over ponies only ever trained by these particular participants (rather than used numerous times as is often the case in equine therapy) and this seems to strengthen the horse-human bond. The boys undoubtedly also felt a bond with the DPHT team too, who provided them with a safe envoronment free from judgment where all feedback was constructive, genuiene and sincere.

Observations and interviews suggest that working the Dartmoor ponies can help adolescents who are experiencing difficulties and the next challenge is to ensure that the benefits last. The inclusion of successful previous participants to act as ‘mentors’ to new participants seems a promising way of doing this, allowing them continued contact with the ponies whilst providing opportunities for the further development of skills such as leadership, patience and empathy."

We are greatly encouraged by the positive feedback from the groups we already work with and clear statements of demand from the organisations involved. By raising the Dartmoor Ponies specific qualities we hope to improve the quality of many lives. The new centre at Parke, Bovey Tracey will enable us to provide all year round provision and the opportuity to grow this area of our work.

Please contact Dru Butterfield if you would like to book your group on to a PIP session.

01626 355314 or dru@dpht.co.uk